kryptoniancape

[kryptoniancape]

What's important to me is that Daryl and Carol stay true to themselves, get to go on adventures together as an established couple, confront their traumas in powerful ways, and help each other heal and grow and get stronger. Those adventures could happen anywhere. I don't care. They just need to be in the right hands.

#caryl

[kryptoniancape]

#spike #btvs

[kryptoniancape]

Thoughts on the TBOC teaser + sneak peek

There is a ton of fandom discourse on this, and I appreciate you all for taking the time to share your thoughts and perspectives. I discussed a bit of this in episode #26 of our podcast, but I wanted to expand on my perspective here in a nuanced way. If you choose to read this, know that I will be very candid in this post. If your mental health needs a respite from heavy discourse, please take care of your mental health first.

It's absolutely wonderful to have Carol back. The sneak peek was exactly what I expected. It built intrigue from Daryl's POV, expanded on Carol's headspace, and set the stage. But I wish I could be excited about the teaser.

Carol's POV was beautifully nuanced and as angsty as I wanted it to be, but there was a disconnect with Daryl's POV. Although you hear the frustration in his voice, it doesn't sit well with me that a show called The Book of Carol starts with the voiceover + a shot of another character positioned with Daryl in soft lighting gazing at sunset with the juxtaposition of Carol's raw loneliness as she desperately tries to get to him.

Carol's desperation is explicit, clear, and heartbreaking, but there is an imbalance because Daryl's POV needs to convey the same level of need to "find home." Obviously, we don't have enough promo material to define that clearly yet, which is why I'm hoping that people speaking up about their true feelings will help the marketing team position future promo in a way that elicits more overwhelmingly positive reactions from their audience.

I want to make it explicitly clear that my issue here is not with Daryl's character. I'm noticing discourse around how harshly he is judged sometimes, and I agree. My issue is with the way the teaser was spliced together and marketed. My concern for the season is because his character has historically been used to incite fandom wars through shipbaiting in an attempt to please all audiences. Which never worked, festered misogyny and fandom infighting, produced mixed reactions and resulted in Daryl's character paying the price for it.

At the root of it is ambiguity. Their audience was unequivocally united when the first teaser featured the following tagline. There's a reason for it.

To find home is to find each other

It's at the core of Carol and Daryl's relationship. That is the foundation of this show, the connective tissue that the majority of their fans instantly resonated with. It's the key.

I understand that they're at the start of their promo campaign and will continue to map the viewer's journey. Promo content from now on should ideally build hype, give narrative cues/hooks, and build audience awareness and understanding to set expectations for The Book of Carol. So, we may not see this tagline written out on every teaser, but it should still reflect in the content seen on the screen so the viewers make the connection.

In the current teaser, it shows up very sharply for Carol, but with Daryl, that messaging is muddled. This is why it's not resonating with some fans — everyone is interpreting it through their own unique lens.

TWDCaryl

It's nice to see the official accounts use this tag and pro-Caryl copy to promote the show; it's a huge step forward. But again, the feelings need to be reflected in what we see on the screen. If it's generating mixed reactions — the promo content isn't hitting the mark, and in this case, it's too ambiguous.

Any marketing team worth its salt won't give you any inclination of canon, reunion, or interactions between Daryl and Carol during the promo campaign — at least not this early in the campaign. They would want to save your excitement for when those scenes show up on screen.

But I hope the promo that comes out after this gives me more snippets of Daryl's desperation to find his way back. People invest in your brand if they believe they can trust you. Trust is earned. Many people have valid trust issues after the last few years. And this is the way they can build trust with people who have felt betrayed in the past and left the fandom.

The Daryl I know, love and trust

I fell in love with Daryl first. He's one of the strongest characters on the show, not only because of what he endured but also because of his determination to nurture and protect the people he loves. Most of all, because I resonated with his unwavering loyalty to Carol and their family.

The Daryl I know struggles to understand his worth and retreats into the darkness when he is isolated. His demons find him there. Carol is the only one who can pull him out of the darkness, just like Daryl is the only one who can pull her out of hers. They're each other's guiding light. The Daryl I know and love doesn't need to choose. There is no choice. His loyalty to Carol and their family is his first priority. Always.

The articles published by big media outlets surrounding the spinoff often suggest that Daryl is "conflicted". These articles started sprouting after the showrunner's interview, which added more ambiguity to the mix. Every writer added their own understanding of the ambiguity and wrote the articles accordingly, which muddled the messaging even further.

Whether people like it or not, these articles build awareness and set the stage for the show. They're an essential form of digital marketing, offering content that audiences can consume to understand the show. So if they're missing the mark, people consuming these articles will rightfully feel confused about what the season will bring.

A showrunner who gets them

I trust Daryl completely. I know where his heart lies, what his motivations are, and how desperately he wants to get back to Carol and their family. But I don't trust the showrunner who is writing him, and I don't think his motivations align with Daryl's.

Clémence is a talented actress. Her character had the potential to be a strong ally to Daryl and Carol. But her character was twisted to suit the narrative, which included a heavy helping of unnecessary shipbaiting. I'm tired of that.

Melissa's EP status gives me hope for Carol's story, but she's not the showrunner. Norman and Melissa's acting, chemistry, and understanding of their characters and relationship can only do so much.

I really hope they pick a pro-Caryl showrunner who can do justice to Daryl and Carol's story going forward and fill it with the love, vulnerability, gentleness, and deep richness it deserves. I'd personally like to see a progressive female showrunner who isn't afraid to support Caryl and write nuanced female characters who can hold their own regardless of the circumstances.

My hopes and fears for Caryl's future

I love Daryl to pieces, but I'll be honest and say I love Carol more. If you've ever listened to the podcast, that is clear. I'm so happy to have Melissa back. I cannot wait to see Norman and Melissa act together. But, to me, this season is make-or-break. It's a chance for the network to show their audience they're listening and ready to deliver satisfying, undeniable canon for Caryl.

I don't know if your thoughts align with what I said, but I think most of us can agree that we're absolutely tired of shipbaiting, ambiguity, and seasons that promise but don't deliver explicit moments between Caryl.

I hope to god this season proves me wrong. I hope they hear the thoughts that Carylers are bravely sharing here and adjust course accordingly, not only in the promo circuit but beyond. Because whether the posts are more positively inclined or negatively inclined, the ones I read more or less hit this note — Daryl loves Carol deeply, and they will fight the world to find each other, because they are each other's home. Always.

Whether any of this resonates with you or not, I encourage you to share your own thoughts and remember to tag caryl. Share why they are important to you, why you want them to go canon and what this show and these characters mean to you. Speak from the heart and share whatever you're comfortable with because your voice has power, and you deserve to take up space.

2024 is the year of Caryl. So many have waited a long time for it. Let's hope they honour that.

To those who are genuinely excited, I'm glad you're able to find something to hold on to. I wish I could join in, but I have to be honest about my reservations to honour how I feel about this. If you took the time to read this, I thank you. Stay safe and be well. ❤️

#caryl #the book of carol #disc

[kryptoniancape]

Breaking down #TheBookofCarol sneak peek and teaser

Thought I’d summarize some of the thoughts I shared on the latest episode of @9lives2mics

As Shalaka extrapolated as well, there was a discernible difference in aura to both Daryl and Carol’s scenes. And I think fans are looking forward to a consistent through-line when it comes to how their individual stories are going to be told this season, until they reunite again.

Daryl seems to be preoccupied with the strife of those in France. His sneak peek is very ambiguous and action-focused, compared to Carol’s scene which is more explicit, emotion-driven, and gives us a sliver of that familiar angst as she is preoccupied with only the thoughts of finding him.

It was great and refreshing to see from her, but I definitely hope that there’s no part of the season where we feel that lapse in investment in Caryl when it comes to Daryl’s side of things. Carol should hopefully be on his mind increasingly leading up to the realization that she has come to France, to give us that overdue and satisfying payoff.

Even in the teaser opening with Isabelle, Daryl expressed frustration, in my opinion, about his still not being able to get home. But I expect that nuance was overshadowed for most by the positioning of that scene, where it appears to be a more intimate moment between Daryl and Isabelle.

I’m just saying, it’s an…interesting choice when most of the target audience for this is going to be anticipating Daryl and Carol interactions.

#personal #disc #caryl

[kryptoniancape]

David Zabel supports genocide. Variety lists the names of people who signed to denounce Johnathan Glazer’s Oscar speech and he’s on it. (So is Amy Sherman-Palladino.) He’s neither a good writer nor a good person 😫 I really hope we get a new showrunner! Didn’t you say a while back that you knew who AMC was considering hiring? What do you think she would do with canon and do you think she’d fix the retcon of Daryl?

Thank you for the heads up. I didn’t see his name on the list the first time I read through it, but yep, it’s there. It’s bad enough he’s unfit to write for Daryl and Carol, but I am terrified of how his affiliations are going to manifest in their show considering his overuse of war and religious imagery. At best, it’s insensitive to the current crisis and at worst, he’s abusing his power to actively push an agenda the overwhelming majority of Caryl fans are against. I don’t want him anywhere near this show. Carol and Daryl, Melissa and Norman, and all of their fans deserve a thousand times better.

I will answer the second part of your ask separately. The Variety article is here for anyone who wants to read.

#disc

[kryptoniancape]

Hopes for TBOC’s marketing campaign

Let me start by saying that this is a marketing rant. I’m going to unfold glaring issues I’ve noticed with the marketing strategies being implemented so far. If it’s not your cup of tea, now is the time to scroll past this post. 

If you’re feeling more exhausted than usual in the fandom, you're having to defend Carol/Caryl online a LOT lately, or you’re finding yourself exercising the block/mute button a lot or finding the lack of Carol-focused promo quite disheartening – this may clarify a few things. I’m shedding some light on some marketing nuances that I‘ve noticed over the past few months that are snowballing into the landscape we see today. I'll try and do it in order so you can see the how some of these strategies connect with each other.  

Promotion without both leads

After the initial two weeks of promo during October, we didn't see a ton of Carol-focused promo. If you go back and look at promo content, news, articles, casting calls, teasers, etc., that followed, you’ll notice one person is largely missing from all of them. Melissa McBride’s name or Carol's pictures/ footage aren’t always found in articles/ news related to the show dubbed “The Book of Carol,” which is often just referred to as Daryl Dixon S2.  

Articles often say, "McBride is joining Daryl Dixon S2." Sometimes, she isn't even mentioned, which may not seem really big or just an error, but these little things compound into bigger issues, like fostering disrespect towards the female lead. We all know that it's their show together, so why not call it that? Why not feature her name in every instance? Why not speak about them equally?

94% of consumers are likely to be loyal to a brand that offers complete transparency.¹ Why let speculation and disrespect continue when they can be neutralized by taking a stand?

Toxicity-inducing posts/narratives

What I mentioned above inevitably starts rumours or opens pathways for people to disrespect Carol or, worse, makes fans feel like they need to be “grateful for the crumbs that they’re getting,” which not only lowers expectations but perpetuates this tactic that leans into the bare minimum and festers toxicity.

Most importantly, it encourages narratives and speculation that she's a "small part of Daryl's story" or that she may not be around for the long haul. It opens the forum to speculate about Carol's fate and I don't have to explain why it's frustrating to read narratives like that.

It's especially problematic because the show is supposed to eventually make way for "their story". This makes TBOC's core audience feel like they’re waiting for crumbs or encourages infighting in the fandom. It's causing strain on people's mental health, and so many are hanging on by a thread. This toxicity makes fans feel unsafe and uncomfortable in the space that is supposed to provide a safe haven. A space where they can share their love for their favourite characters/ship and build anticipation for their show. Which brings me to...

Positioning strategy

When TBOC promo strategy commenced, the fandom rejoiced because “to find home is to find each other” was established as the tagline and a positioning strategy which leaned into who Carol and Daryl are to each other. When I say "positioning strategy", I mean leaning into what makes the show unique. Now, sometimes, it can be incorporated more unethically when it pokes holes into the competitor's product/service/show, but In TBOC's case, they leaned into the biggest selling point of their show, which is Daryl and Carol's relationship, aka what Carylers have been asking for since S2 of the flagship show. Carylers are a great core audience to have because engagement online picks up quickly, with or without their help. 

There are two ways of looking at it – the first way is building on the hype until the promo circuit picks up, and the second way is not putting in a lot of effort because the fans are doing a lot of the legwork. Which one do you think is being implemented right now? They built hype for the first two weeks after Carol's cameo, but unfortunately, that wave crashed before they let fans do the amplifying for them. Which brings me to…

Placating instead of amplifying 

Carol’s pictures/ footage so far has been taken on set or promo stills from the flagship show used in tweets by the official accounts. We can all agree that seeing Melissa and Norman on set is lovely. But a lot of Carol solidarity posts drop because of some inflammatory comment/post/article that pissed Carol/Caryl fans off. Take this, for example: 

There are multiple instances of this. Many set pictures/ promo related content drops around the time there is discomfort amongst Caryl/Carol fans. When you're placating fans because they're pissed, you're trying to neutralize a negative feeling, so the anticipation doesn't build as sustainably and leaves people wanting more. Happiness helps people connect and share content quickly. Positive content spreads faster on social media than any other type of content.² Pictures used to placate fans don’t have the same effect if they amplified the hype for the sake of it. When you amplify a character or ship to build on the hype, it capitalizes on people's positive feelings like excitement and happiness and builds anticipation quicker. Like this:

Carol deserves more than being promoted only when the toxicity gets so bad that fans start to take mental health breaks or think of leaving altogether. Now we all know that the promo circuit hasn’t officially kicked off yet, so I am hoping that these things change when it begins. This is what I want to see:

Equal promotion – I’d love to see Daryl and Carol featured equally when they promote the Caryl show. Give us all the posters featuring both of them and map out their journey towards each other in the posters and their promo. Daryl and Carol should be featured on equal ground, with no doubt left about both of them being the leads of their show. 

Or, as my friend @kryptoniancape said in our podcast, “The posters need to be so in your face that you have no choice but to accept it, or you can’t deny it anymore.” Daryl and Carol have waited long enough for their story to continue. They deserve a compelling story, but most importantly, they deserve a robust marketing campaign that creates buzz for that story and respects both leads equally. 

Build hype. Build angst – Build hype for Carol’s return. Build the angst with Daryl’s return. Their ship has a robust fan engagement on socials which is a goldmine for any show. The marketing campaign practically writes itself here. 

The Carol-focused promo hopefully leans into her marketability as a timid housewife and a survivour to one of the most formidable women on the show. Carol travelling across continents against all odds for Daryl is a huge defining trait of her character. Daryl’s character is known for his love and loyalty to Carol and his family. His longing for her and his unwavering need to protect her are defining traits of his character.

S1 established that he wants to go home, but he feels “stuck” (why? I don’t know). The angst needs to be focused on Daryl’s need to get back home to Carol, the kids, and the rest of his family. Trying to lean into Daryl’s “indecisiveness” because of people he’s known for a short period of time, IMHO undermines his character development. Especially because S2 is focusing on Carol’s side of the story. They both need to be on the same page even though they’re far apart. I don’t know how they will achieve that, but I speak for many when I say most Carlyers are waiting for the story to just be about them. 

Leaning into ship baiting to manufacture tension is neither cute nor compelling. Quite frankly, I'm tired of it, especially because Carol and Daryl can build tension with a single look. It's not like this show needs more angst (especially, manufactured angst) than it's going to get with these two trying to find each other.

Building Carol’s and Daryl’s authority (individually and together) – This means tweet threads with memorable moments, articles that validate their characters individually and their ship and its potential, video compilations of their moments together, hyping fanart/fan edits that feature Caryl. The whole enchilada. There are creators sharing their work in this space every day. Take your pick and support them.

I think we can all agree that both Carol and Daryl deserve equal promo; their ship deserves validation, and Carol deserves respect. If you don't resonate with what I said here, no hard feelings, I respect your perspective. If you do resonate with what I said here, I hope it helps somehow. Thanks for taking the time to read this. So long story short.

Nobody wants to see toxic shit like this:

We want to see more of this: 

My last wish for you, dear Caryler, is that you find a safe space where you can talk about the things you love. Take mental health breaks if necessary. Remember that any show related content that you see online is placed there strategically (from a marketing perspective) to leverage the audience or boost viewership. If it doesn't make you happy or bring you hope, or feel good for your mental health – refocus your attention to what does make you happy. Starve the content that doesn't deserve your attention, feed the content that brings you joy.

My askbox is open if you need to chat. ❤️

___

Sources:

1. Unethical Marketing Destroys Customer Experience And Brand Reputation, Forbes.com, Accessed 8 March, 2024

2. The Ultimate Guide to Emotional Marketing, Hubspot.com, Accessed 8 March, 2024

#disc #caryl

[kryptoniancape]

I find this pretty offensive as a woman who gravitates towards dark or challenging subject matter in stories, and has even written a few myself that I’m very proud of. I could do without the perpetuation that any story written by women will automatically be camp. Many of us do not derive fulfillment from that type of storytelling, and our opinions and viewpoints are overlooked because we don’t fit a label as female consumers, and we also want to get invested in stories that have a believable and purposeful emotional journey for the characters. Regardless of what you’re into, that is the most important, grounding element of a story. People who disagree with that can argue with the wall, and it seems to routinely be certain men who think robotic character behaviour and lots of explosions are what makes a compelling story.

Is the reason why you want a female showrunner so bad because most romance writers are women? I want canon Caryl but I don’t want TWD to be Bridgerton or Gilmore Girls with zombies.

Just because I want a romantic journey for Caryl doesn't mean I want someone to turn their show into Bridgerton or Gilmore Girls and it also doesn't mean a female showrunner would. If we should worry about anyone taking romance in the wrong direction, it’s Zabel and co. who are now comparing Daryl to a “lonely knight” from a Lamartine poem🤨 The reason I need an experienced female showrunner is because she's far more likely to connect with a deeply internal female character like Carol and an unconventional, also deeply internal, male character like Daryl. She can highlight their nuances and appeal to a largely female audience + many male viewers who don't fit the hypermasculine stereotype. She can help that audience grow and get the show a lot of mainstream attention.

I’m not saying men can’t write for these characters, but the toxic white men TWDU only seems to hire now are far too self-indulgent. They don't write for the characters or for their fans. Look at how Daryl often comes across in S1– as a white American savior, eligible bachelor, emotionally constipated except when he’s angry, and someone who can make eyes at a woman he barely knows despite having someone at home. That's not the Daryl so many people fell in love with during the Sophia arc in the flagship show. That's not the loyal family man who wears his heart on his sleeve and reserves any "glances' for the woman he’s always loved. They write their male protagonist from a limited perspective and same goes for the women. They turn them into tropes like the femme fatale (Maggie), the “good girl vs the whore” (Isabelle), the “manipulator” (also Isabelle), and the “strong woman” aka a woman who acts like an alpha male. Carol was a badass in 106, but there was no emotion behind her actions. Why couldn’t we get a closeup of her face while she was mounting the bike? Why couldn’t we see how worried she was about losing Daryl, the man who means everything to her? Was it cut? Was it even shot? Why didn’t the male EPs think that might be important?

Look at the ways they gatekeep. If “The Book of Carol” is supposed to shine a spotlight on our deeply internal female protagonist, then why are Zabel and Richman writing half the scripts themselves and why are their no female directors? Representation offscreen is just as important as representation onscreen.

Melissa will have had a lot to say about Carol's arc, which I think will make a big difference in S2 thankfully, but she still needs another woman in power to help her tell Carol's and Caryl's story the way she and her fans want it to be told and to promote Carol fairly. Notice how she keeps getting left out of promos or pitted against other characters or reduced to a subtitle? That does not mean Melissa has no agency or that she's weak. It means the misogyny at AMC, and TWDU in particular, runs too deep for her to be immune. She needs allies.

I need an experienced female showrunner for S3, otherwise I'm not interested. Zabel, Nicotero, and Gimple are a ticking timebomb. S1 was pretty damaging. I'm hoping S2 won't be, but at some point there's going to be no coming back from one of their careless decisions and I can't watch that happen to the two iconic characters who have functioned as fictional role models in both my personal and professional life. I need to know that AMC values Melissa, Carol, and Caryl as much as I do as a fan. Letting the men run amuck, letting them shit on Melissa/Carol/Caryl and their fans constantly, is not very convincing.

#disc #imagine how tired we are #caryl #personal

[kryptoniancape]

“Typical horizontal deck of altocumulus.” Cloud and weather atlas. 1944.

Internet Archive

#photography #pretty

[kryptoniancape]

Nine Lives Two Mics (Caryl Podcast) | New Episode

🎙️Episode #21 - A Deep Dive into Season 4 of TWD (Part 3)🎙️

Join us as we dive into all the #Caryl scenes from 4x05 and 4x16 of #TWD S4. 

Spotify | Youtube 

#🥰 #caryl #9lives2mics

[kryptoniancape]

I think buy and large, Carylers are tired of settling. There’s been a huge time gap of just no momentum for these characters, and at this point it’s going to take a significant paradigm shift to reinvigorate the show’s core audience, and actually keep them invested.

Having a showrunner at the helm who feels just as passionate about developing these characters’ stories as we are to watch them, is crucial. This should always be the motive of any storyteller. While anyone could meet this criteria with the right motivation, In my personal experience, women have always been uniquely gifted at writing romance, (particularly in spaces where male writers have left more to be desired), and crafting deep, character-driven stories. In this case, being able to inject more female voice where it has been deeply missed for a while will only serve to craft a richer story, and ultimately, a more satisfied consumer. I think we can all note the recent market research AMC has been conducting. We know they are interesting in finding out what’s working.

I really liked where Caryl was heading under AK’s wing before studio interference derailed their journey in season 11, and I’d appreciate the assurance this time of knowing the future of their story was in the care of a likeminded storyteller, who is afforded the creative freedom to realize that vision.

– Laura

It's crucial to have a showrunner who understands Caryl's dynamic and steers away from racist, misogynistic writing tropes.

Do you think AMC would ever give us that? It’s either Zabel or some other white guy and as far as I’m concerned, they’re all the same. (Your mileage may vary.) The current one didn’t even watch TWD except for the montage at the end with C*nnie, RJ, Judith and Ezekiel, so he thought they were Daryl’s inner circle. I guess anything would be a step up from that?

A step up won't change anything. A showrunner who understands Caryl's story and does justice to their dynamic is a deal breaker.

So far we've seen what the spinoff looks like from the lens of a middle-aged white man who doesn't have enough background on Daryl and Carol's story (which is also clear in the way characters who identify as female were written on the show). That needs to change, not just for the sake of progress, but to help do justice to all the characters involved.

We touched on this briefly in the final part of our S3 breakdown episodes. The reason we think it's important to have a female showrunner who understands Daryl and Carol – individually and together – is because it will elevate the story overall.

We'll get to see a collaboration between Melissa who is an EP and the female showrunner to find new depths in Carol's character that give us a chance to witness her experience in a whole new way. We'll also get a perspective that understands why a huge chunk of the female audience feels safe with Daryl and why his representation is important to everyone. Finding a balance between his epic, badass moments and his heartfelt moments comes from a lens that understands why the female audience connects so deeply and quickly with Daryl's character. It also does justice to his backstory which helps give voice to abuse survivours, especially abuse survivours who identify as male and often feel unsafe to speak out.

As a WOC, I want to see an experienced female showrunner at the helm. It adds another strong female voice behind the scenes alongside Melissa's. It will help broaden the perspective and help expand on characters – especially POC and female characters – around Daryl and Carol so they're not used as plot devices.

Delivering a story that Carylers will invest their time and money in starts with investing in a showrunner with wherewithal to tap into what the audience is anticipating while maintaining Carol's and Daryl's character integrity.

We want explicit canon, yes. But we want it done right. We want Carol and Daryl to grow from the moment that brings them together romantically. We want them to lean into their personal development while working on their relationship together.

So let me answer your question with a question, dear anon, would you still watch if AMC didn't give you that and everything you're waiting for? Because, in the end, you hold the power to decide whether or not to withdraw your investment and find what you need elsewhere.

I personally need to see that AMC is listening to concerns and see them work with a female showrunner after S2 to move forward.

– Shalaka

#caryl #disc #meta

[kryptoniancape]

Nine Lives Two Mics – A Caryl Podcast

Hi Carylers! 

Welcome to the official Nine Lives Two Mics Tumblr page (what took us so long? Geez 🙃).

For those of you who are wondering, “Nine Lives Who Mics?” Here’s a quick intro. 

A long time ago… in a galaxy far, far away (aka Canada), a marketing nerd and an artsy goth chick bonded over their two favourite characters from The Walking Dead. A few months later, our podcast was born (What can we say? It was unresolved tension from a slow-burn ship at first sight). 

Nine Lives Two Mics engages in thought-provoking and mildly spicy conversations about Daryl and Carol, their character development, and their relationship. With Shalaka’s marketing expertise and Laura’s keen visual eye, we uncover different ways the show leverages (and misses) opportunities to enhance one of the biggest ships it produced. 

Join us every Monday as we break down all of our favourite Caryl scenes and share our hopes and fears for their highly-anticipated spinoff.

Oh, did we mention we’re dorks? Because we’re dorks. Feel free to drop us your podcast questions (oor just come say hi!) Our askbox is open. 

You can find our podcast here: Spotify | Youtube

We ain’t ashes,

Shalaka and Laura

#🫶🏼 #9lives2mics #caryl podcast #twd caryl

[kryptoniancape]

Nine Lives Two Mics (Caryl Podcast) | New Episode

🎙️Episode #19 - A Deep Dive into Season 4 of TWD (Part 1)🎙️

Join us as we dive into all the #Caryl scenes from 4x01 and 4x02 of #TWD S4.  

Spotify | Youtube 

#caryl #9lives2mics

[kryptoniancape]

Why "Unconventional" Daryl Matters

Daryl is my favorite male character on television. In fact, he was the first male role model I had after growing up with men who were always quick to anger, shouting at others, breaking things, and throwing tantrums. Norman's portrayal showed me that men have the ability to choose kindness, tenderness, and true love even if nobody taught them how when they were kids. 

Daryl’s “unconventional” masculinity is what makes him so unique. He doesn’t make speeches or push to be the leader. Yes, Rick is a strong character, but I love Daryl because he isn’t Rick or any other male character on the show. Daryl is a trailblazer who breaks several stereotypes. Having spoken to so many other Caryl fans, I know Daryl's backstory and his devotion to Carol give them hope that they too can rise above their trauma.

Because of Norman and Daryl, so many fans feel more comfortable opening up about childhood or sexual abuse despite the stigma surrounding it. Daryl's representation is especially empowering to men who were abused or neglected for not conforming. He showed them what it means to be a kind, emotionally intelligent man. He did that. That's something I hope Norman is very proud of. The writers may have created a powerful emotional arc, but he is Daryl. No other actor could've captured Daryl's nurturing side that effortlessly – sometimes with just a simple look or touch or tone of voice – and balanced it with all of his epic moments. That's all him. 

Most people understand that the purpose of my campaign over the past couple years was to demonstrate Melissa's and Carol's vitality to the show, but that's not all. I was advocating for Daryl's character integrity too. His fierce loyalty, vulnerability, and devotion to Carol all make him heroic in my eyes and they all go hand-in-hand, but when Daryl starts questioning where he belongs after spending only a short time with new characters and when his feelings get buried under layers of subtext, then my investment in him starts to feel misplaced, which hurts a lot because of the personal connection I've made with him. It makes Daryl's character growth from a lone wolf to a committed family man seem fruitless if he can just find a "surrogate" family somewhere else. Do I think the story will ultimately lead to Daryl making that choice? No, but my point is, it isn't clear why he could never choose anyone other than Carol and TF. And it needs to be. Norman said Daryl is someone who "wears his heart on his sleeve." That's the Daryl I root for. That's who I want to see more of. I miss him terribly.

Again, Daryl inspired a generation of young men to refuse the toxic male stereotype, and taught them how to choose kindness and how to love fiercely. Daryl’s love for Carol showed so many women that they deserve to be treated with love and respect by their partners. I'm excited to see more of Daryl who knows where he belongs and isn’t afraid to show his love for Carol. I want the trailblazer who stands up for who he is and doesn’t fall into toxic masculine traps – because that ain’t him. 

#amen #disc #meta #caryl

[kryptoniancape]

THE HUNGER GAMES APPRECIATION WEEK ↳ Day 3: favourite mentor/mentee relationship — Haymitch Abernathy and Katniss Everdeen

This is the moment, then. When we find out exactly just how alike we are, and how much he truly understands me.

#katniss everdeen #haymitch abernathy #thg

[kryptoniancape]

ANGEL (1999-2004)

#angel #ats

[kryptoniancape]

Nine Lives Two Mics (Caryl Podcast) | New Episode

🎙️Episode #11 - A Deep Dive into Season 2 of TWD (Part 3)🎙️

Join us as we dive into all the Caryl scenes from 2x05 (Chupacabra) of TWD.

Spotify | Youtube

Do you have any interesting insights on Chupacabra?

#9lives2mics #caryl #caryl podcast

[kryptoniancape]

“I don’t like this place. Nothing grows in the right direction.”

True Detective (2014) dir. Cary Joji Fukunaga

#true detective